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Numbers 14:44 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ לַעֲל֖וֹת אֶל־ רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֑ר וַאֲר֤וֹן בְּרִית־ יְהוָה֙ וּמֹשֶׁ֔ה לֹא־ מָ֖שׁוּ מִקֶּ֥רֶב הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

BSABut they daredʻâphal [presumed, acted with arrogance] to go upʻâlâh [ascend, rise] toʼêl the ridgerôʼsh [top, head] of the hill countryhar [mountain, high land] though neitherlôʼ MosesMôsheh [the Israelite leader, prophet] [nor] the arkʼârôwn [box, chest] of the covenantbᵉrîyth [promise, agreement] of the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the Lord God] movedmûwsh [departed, removed] fromqereb the campmachăneh [encampment, gathering place]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 14
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 44 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (Ha.ma.cha.Neh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 14:44quick helps
In a sentenceThe Israelites dared to ascend the hill country despite warnings and the absence of Moses and the ark.
Who is speakingThe narrator recounts the actions of the Israelites.
Where we areThis verse describes a moment of defiance following a warning against ascending.
The hard wordוַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ
Take awayThe Israelites acted with arrogance, ignoring the consequences of their actions.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott & more — read them › clause verbעָפַל The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Numbers 14:44

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Rebellion of the Israelitesgenerated

42Do not go up, lest you be struck down by your enemies, because the LORD is not among you.
43For there the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, He will not be with you.”
44But they dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD moved from the camp.
45Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them all the way to Hormah.

Numbers 14:44 describes the Israelites' decision to ascend the hill country despite being warned not to. They acted with presumption, going against the instructions given to them, which ultimately led to their downfall. This moment illustrates the consequences of disobedience to God's commands, as they faced the Amalekites and Canaanites soon after their defiance.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Numbers 15:30But the person who sins defiantly, whether a native or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That person shall be cut off from among his people.
2Deuteronomy 1:43So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.
3Numbers 10:33So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain of the LORD, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them.
41 Samuel 4:3–11When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the LORD brought defeat on us before the Philistines today? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that it may go with us to save us from the hand of our enemies.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ, vai.ya'.Pi.lugenerated

The verb עָפַל (aphal) is used here in the Hiphil stem, indicating a causative action, and it conveys a sense of presumption or arrogance. The Israelites swelled with pride and acted heedlessly, disregarding the warnings given to them. This word appears in contexts that caution against pride and overconfidence.

In this verse, the use of וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ emphasizes their boldness in attempting to ascend the hill country without the presence of Moses or the ark, highlighting their lack of respect for divine authority and the seriousness of their actions.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ governs the main action of the verse, with a series of phrases detailing what they dared to do. The structure highlights the sequence of their actions and the conditions surrounding them.

The phrase לַעֲל֖וֹת אֶל־ רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֑ר (to go up to the ridge of the hill country) serves as the objective of their daring, while the clauses concerning Moses and the ark indicate their absence and the implications of that absence.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ as διαβιασάμενοι, which suggests a sense of forcefulness or urgency in their action. This choice may imply a more aggressive attitude than the Hebrew, which focuses on presumption.

The use of ἀνέβησαν for לַעֲל֖וֹת (to go up) indicates a straightforward ascent, maintaining the original meaning while presenting it in a different grammatical context.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 14:44 recounts how the Israelites dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, despite being warned not to. They acted with arrogance, ignoring the presence of Moses and the ark of the covenant, which remained in the camp. This act of defiance led to their defeat by the Amalekites and Canaanites.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that they dared to go up?

It indicates that the Israelites acted presumptuously, ignoring God's warning and the absence of their leader and sacred object.

Why is the ark of the covenant significant in this verse?

The ark represents God's presence among the Israelites, and its absence highlights their disobedience and lack of divine support.

What were the consequences of their actions?

The Israelites faced defeat by the Amalekites and Canaanites as a direct result of their defiance against God's command.

How does this event reflect on the nature of obedience?

This event serves as a warning about the importance of obedience to God's commands and the dangers of presumption.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life might I be acting presumptuously, ignoring God's guidance?
  2. How can I ensure that I remain humble and obedient to God's commands?
  3. What lessons can I learn from the Israelites' defiance in this passage?
  4. How does understanding the significance of the ark of the covenant deepen my appreciation for God's presence in my life?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 14:44 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But they presumed to go up unto the hill top,.... In a bold, audacious, and presumptuous manner; they attempted to go up to the top of the hill, notwithstanding the remonstrances of Moses against it,

Read John Gill on Numbers 14 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. The ark of the covenant of the Lord ... departed not out of the camp.

Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 14 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

They presumed; guilty both of rashness and rebellion; thus running from one extreme to another.

Read Matthew Poole on Numbers 14 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(44) They presumed to go up.—i.e., they made a bold attempt to ascend the mountain. Their enemies appear to have encountered and discomfited them before they had actually gained the summit.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Numbers 14 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

44. the ark of the covenant of Jehovah] The words ‘of the covenant’ are probably a gloss by a Dt. writer. There is no evidence in J or E that the tablets of the Covenant laws were placed in the ark. See on Numbers 10:33 b. and Moses] Moses was the guardian of the ark. out of the midst of the camp] In E the sacred tent, in which the ark was presumably housed, stood outside the camp (cf. Numbers 12:4, Exodus 33:7-11). The position, here implied by J , afterwards formed an important factor in P’s description of the Tabernacle (Numbers 1:50; Numbers 1:53).

Read Cambridge on Numbers 14 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

44. But they presumed — Presumption and despair are two opposite phases of unbelief.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 14 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

But they dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD moved from the camp.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of Yahweh’s covenant and Moses didn’t depart out of the camp.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

But they dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD moved from the camp.

NETBNew English Translation2006

But they dared to go up to the crest of the hill, although neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.

RVARevised Version, American1894

But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

But they presumed to go up to the hill-top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Yet they presumed obstinately to goe vp to the top of the mountaine: but the Arke of the couenant of the Lord, and Moses departed not out of the campe.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Yet they presumed to go up to the hill-top; but the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and Moses, did not depart from the midst of the camp.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And they presume to go up unto the top of the mountain, and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah and Moses have not departed out of the midst of the camp.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And they presume to go up to the top of the mountain, but the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH, and Moses, have not departed out of the midst of the camp.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Yet they persisted to go up unto the top of the mountain; but the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, did not move out of the camp.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

But they presumed to go up into the hill country; however, neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of Yahweh left the camp.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

But they being blinded went up to the top of the mountain. But the ark of the testament of the Lord and Moses departed not from the camp.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

But they were arrogant and went up into the hill country, even though Moses and the Ark of the Lord's Agreement didn't move from the camp.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

But they gave no attention to his words and went to the top of the mountain, though Moses and the ark of the Lord's agreement did not go out of the tent-circle.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיַּעְפִּ֕לוּthey.presumedprepositional phrase · prepositionalלַtoclauseverbעֲל֖וֹתgo.upprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtonoun phraseרֹ֣אשׁthe.topnoun phraseהָofהָ֑רthe.hill.countryוַandclausenoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseאֲר֤וֹןthe.arknoun phraseבְּרִיתof.the.covenantיְהוָה֙of.Yahwehוּandמֹשֶׁ֔הMosesadverbialלֹאnotverbמָ֖שׁוּthey.departedprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromnoun phraseקֶּ֥רֶבthe.midstnoun phraseהַֽofמַּחֲנֶֽהthe.camp

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text states, "וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ לַעֲל֖וֹת אֶל־ רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֑ר וַאֲר֤וֹן בְּרִית־ יְהוָה֙ וּמֹשֶׁ֔ה לֹא־ מָ֖שׁוּ מִקֶּ֥רֶב הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃" The Samaritan Pentateuch agrees with the Masoretic Text word for word. The Septuagint, while it has a different word order and articles, matches 12 of the 13 words from the Masoretic Text, indicating a strong agreement overall. There are no significant differences among these witnesses in this verse.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ לַעֲל֖וֹת אֶל־ רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֑ר וַאֲר֤וֹן בְּרִית־ יְהוָה֙ וּמֹשֶׁ֔ה לֹא־ מָ֖שׁוּ מִקֶּ֥רֶב הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּδιαβιασάμενοιלַעֲל֖וֹתἀνέβησανאֶל־ἐπὶהָהָ֑רὄρουςוַאֲר֤וֹןκιβωτὸςבְּרִית־διαθήκηςיְהוָה֙κυρίουוּמֹשֶׁ֔הμωυσῆςלֹא־οὐκמָ֖שׁוּἐκινήθησανמִקֶּ֥רֶבἐκהַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃παρεμβολῆς

12 of the 13 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ויעפלו לעלות אל ראשׁ ההר וארון ברית יהוה ומשׁה לא משׁו מקרב המחנה

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Numbers 14:44עָפַלand they prand they presumעָפַלעָלָהto go upto go upעָלָהאֶלtotoאֶלרֹאשׁ[the] top o[the] top ofרֹאשׁהַרthe hill cothe hill countrהַראֲרוֹןand [the] aand [the] ark oאֲרוֹןבְּרִית[the] coven[the] covenant בְּרִיתיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהמֹשֶׁהand Mosesand Mosesמֹשֶׁהלֹאnotnotלֹאמוּשׁthey departthey departedמוּשׁקֶ֫רֶבfrom [the] from [the] midsקֶ֫רֶבמַחֲנֶהthe campthe campמַחֲנֶהאָרָהto pluckto pluckאָרָהבָּרָהto eatto eatבָּרָההָיָהto beto beהָיָהמָשָׁהto drawto drawמָשָׁהקָרֵבto presentto present: comקָרֵבחָנָהto campto campחָנָההַרmountainmountainהַרמוּשׁto feelto feelמוּשׁעֹלָהburnt offeburnt offeringעֹלָהיְאֹרstreamstreamיְאֹרפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫העֲטָרָהcrowncrownעֲטָרָהנָשִׂיאleaderleaderנָשִׂיאגִּבְעָהGibeatGibeatגִּבְעָהאֶפְרַ֫יִםEphraimEphraimאֶפְרַ֫יִםעֵדוּתtestimonytestimonyעֵדוּתבְּרִיתcovenantcovenantבְּרִית
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Numbers 14:44

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּvai.ya'.Pi.lu and they presumed H6075 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to presume or be elated, showing a sense of pride or arrogance. In the Bible, it is used to warn against being heedless or proud.
Amplified meaning
presumed, acted with arrogance
Tyndale gloss
to swell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָפַל (aphal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to swell or be lifted up, with a figurative sense of presumption or heedlessness. The entries indicate that it can denote both a physical swelling and a metaphorical elevation in attitude. It appears in contexts such as Habakkuk 2:4 and Numbers 11:44.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָפַל vb. swell;—Pu. Hb 2:4 acc. to MT

ref

[עָפַל] vb. perhaps be heedless

Hiph. shew heedlessness Nu 11:44 (J E)

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6075a עָפַל swell H6075b עָפַל perhaps be heedless

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6075 `aphal aw-fal'

a primitive root; to swell; figuratively, be elated:--be

lifted up, presume.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָפַל (a.phal) — to swell.

1) to lift up, swell, be lifted up

1a) (Pual) to swell

1b) (Hiphil) to be bold, be swelled

עָפַל (a.phal) — to presume.

1) to presume, be heedless

1a) (Hiphil) to be heedless, show heedlessness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
לַעֲל֖וֹתla.'a.Lot to go up H5927 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
890× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To ascend means to go up or rise, like the smoke from an altar going up to God, as described in many Bible passages, including Leviticus and Psalms.
Amplified meaning
ascend, rise
Tyndale gloss
to ascend: rise
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָלָה (alah) means 'to ascend' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including going up, climbing, and rising in various contexts such as personal, natural, and spiritual. It can refer to actions involving people, animals, vegetation, and even thoughts, and includes nuances of being exalted or offering sacrifices. The word is built from a primitive root and appears in various grammatical forms, indicating different aspects of ascent or elevation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָלָה 890 vb. go up, ascend, climb

Qal

of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations

go up, in personal relations

of animals, go or come up

of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth

of natural phenom., go up, rise

of inanimate things, instead of passive construction

of thoughts

come up before God, arrogance

go up, extend, of boundary

excel

Niph.

be brought up

be taken up

pass., be taken up, away

reflex., take oneself away from, get up from

reflex.: take oneself away

be exalted, of God

Hiph.

bring up persons

in personal relations

bring up animals

cause to ascend

mentally

offer a present; bring up tithe to

exalt

cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice

Hoph.

be carried away

be taken up into, inserted in

be offered

Hithp. lift oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5927 עָלָה go up, ascend, climb .. of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations

. go up, in personal relations

. of animals, go or come up

. of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth

. of natural phenom., go up, rise

. of inanimate things, instead of passive construction

. of thoughts

. come up before God, arrogance

. go up, extend, of boundary

. excel

. . . be brought up

. be taken up

. . pass., be taken up, away

. reflex., take oneself away from, get up from

. reflex.: take oneself away

. be exalted, of God

. . bring up persons

. in personal relations

. bring up animals

. cause to ascend

. mentally

. offer a present; bring up tithe to

. exalt

. cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice

. . be carried away

. be taken up into, inserted in

. be offered

. lift oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5927 `alah aw-law'

a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or

actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary

and secondary, literal and figurative (as follow):--arise

(up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up),

bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, + shew, climb

(up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart,

exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up);

grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light,

(make) up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect,

prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise

(up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring

(up), stir up, take away (up), work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָלָה (a.lah) — to ascend: rise.

: rise/go

1) to go up, ascend, climb

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go up, ascend

1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat

1a3) to go up, come up (of animals)

1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation)

1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon)

1a6) to come up (before God)

1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary)

1a8) to excel, be superior to

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away

1b2) to take oneself away

1b3) to be exalted

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up

1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away

1c3) to bring up, draw up, train

1c4) to cause to ascend

1c5) to rouse, stir up (mentally)

1c6) to offer, bring up (of gifts)

1c7) to exalt

1c8) to cause to ascend, offer

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be carried away, be led up

1d2) to be taken up into, be inserted in

1d3) to be offered

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
רֹ֣אשׁrosh [the] top of H7218 Noun common · masculine singular construct
600× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means chief or prince, and is used to describe leaders in the Bible, such as in the book of 1 Samuel. It signifies a position of authority and importance.
Amplified meaning
top, head
Tyndale gloss
head
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֹאשׁ (ro'sh) means 'head' and encompasses various meanings related to position and rank. It can refer to the head of a person or animal, the top of a mountain, or a chief in various contexts, such as a city or nation. The word also signifies beginnings and sums, appearing in phrases related to enumeration. Additionally, it serves as a proper noun for 'Rosh,' a title for a chief or prince.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֹאשׁ 599 n.m.

(c. 230 t.) head, of human being

head, of animals

top (88 t.)

height, of stars

head = chief (man)

= chief (city)

chief nation

= chief (place, position)

= chief priest

= head of a family

head = front, leader's place

of time, beginning, of night watch

of things, river-heads

chief, choicest, best, of spices

head = division of army, company, band

= sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

other phr.

base

רֹאשׁ n.pr.gent. Rôsh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7218a רֹאשׁ . . (c. 230 t.) head, of human being

. head, of animals

. . top (88 t.)

. height, of stars

. . head = chief (man)

. = chief (city)

. chief nation

. = chief (place, position)

. = chief priest

. = head of a family

. . head = front, leader's place

. of time, beginning, of night watch

. of things, river-heads

. chief, choicest, best, of spices

. head = division of army, company, band

. = sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

. other phr.

H7218b רֹאשׁ n. pr. gent. Rôsh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7218 ro'sh roshe

from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as

most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many

applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning,

captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company,

end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head,

height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor,

principal, ruler, sum, top.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head.

: head

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — prince.

Rosh, a tite for a chief or prince

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: leader.

: leader

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: top.

: top/best

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
הָהָ֑רha.Har the hill country H2022 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
546× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A mountain or hill, sometimes used to describe a spiritual high point. In the Bible, it can refer to a real mountain or a figurative one. The word is often translated as hill or mount.
Amplified meaning
mountain, high land
Tyndale gloss
mountain: mount
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הַר (har) means 'mountain' or 'hill,' and can refer to a range of hills or hill-country. It is derived from a root that suggests elevation and can be used figuratively. The entries consistently highlight its geographical connotations without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country

mountain, hill

hill-country, mountain-region

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2022 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2022 har har

a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills

(sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X

promotion.

see HEBREW for 02042

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הַר (har) — mountain: mount.

: mount/hill

hill, mountain, hill country, mount

הַר (har) — mountain: hill country.

: hill_country

hill, mountain, hill country, mount

A sub-meaning of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kun'-tri ('erets, "land," sadheh, "field"; agros, "field," chora, "region"): The foregoing are the principal words rendered "country" in English Versions of the Bible, though we find also 'adhamah, "earth" (Jon 4:2); 'i, "island" (Jer 47:4 the King James Version); gelilah, "circuit" (Eze 47:8 the King James Version); chebhel, "rope" (De 3:14); maqom, "place" (Ge 29:26 the King James Version); nepheth,"hill" or "height" (Jos 17:11 the King James Version); genos, "race" (Ac 4:36 the King James Version); ge, "earth"…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ LOVE OF Jud 5:1-31; 2Sa 10:12; Ne 1:1-11; 2:1-20; 5:1-18; Ps 137:1-6

The Jews held religion and country as one (a theocracy), therefore

See CHURCH, LOVE OF

→ See also PATRIOTISM

and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
וַאֲר֤וֹןva.'a.Ron and [the] ark of H727 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
202× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a box or chest, like the Ark of the Covenant in Exodus 25:10-22. It can also mean a money chest or a coffin. In the Bible, it appears in stories about the Israelites and their sacred objects.
Amplified meaning
box, chest
Tyndale gloss
ark
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲרוֹן, transliterated as arown, means 'chest' or 'ark.' It can refer to various types of containers, including a money chest, the Ark of the Covenant, and even a coffin. The word is built from the root meaning 'gathering' and is used in contexts related to sacred and practical storage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲרוֹן, c. art. הָאָרוֹן, הָאָרֹן 203 n.m. chest, ark

chest, for money-offerings

sarcophagus, mummy-case

chest, ark in tabernacle & temple

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H727 אֲרוֹן, c. art. הָאָרוֹן, הָאָרֹן chest, ark

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

727 'arown aw-rone'

or laron {aw-rone'}; from 717 (in the sense of gathering); a

box:--ark, chest, coffin.

see HEBREW for 0717

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲרוֹן (a.ron) — ark.

1) chest, ark

1a) money chest

1b) Ark of the Covenant

2)(TWOT) coffin

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-cs — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
בְּרִית־be.rit- [the] covenant of H1285 Noun common · feminine singular construct
284× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A covenant is a promise or agreement between people or between God and people, like a treaty or alliance. It is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis, where God makes a covenant with Abraham. This concept is central to the Bible.
Amplified meaning
promise, agreement
Tyndale gloss
covenant
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בְּרִית (berith) means 'covenant' and encompasses agreements between individuals, such as treaties and alliances, as well as divine covenants between God and humanity. It is derived from a root meaning 'to cut,' suggesting the seriousness of such agreements. The term appears in various contexts, including friendships, marriages, and formal ordinances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בְּרִית 285 n.f. covenant

between men.

treaty, alliance, league

constitution, ordinance, between monarch and subjects

agreement, pledge

alliance of friendship between David and Jonathan

alliance of marriage

between God and man.

alliance of friendship

covenant, as a divine constitution or ordinance with signs or pledges

Phrases.

covenant making

covenant keeping

covenant violation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1285 בְּרִית covenant . between men. . treaty, alliance, league

. constitution, ordinance, between monarch and subjects

. agreement, pledge

. alliance of friendship between David and Jonathan

. alliance of marriage

. between God and man. . alliance of friendship

. covenant, as a divine constitution or ordinance with signs or pledges

. Phrases. . covenant making

. covenant keeping

. covenant violation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1285 briyth ber-eeth'

from 1262 (in the sense of cutting (like 1254)); a compact

(because made by passing between pieces of

flesh):--confederacy, (con-)feder(-ate), covenant, league.

see HEBREW for 01262

see HEBREW for 01254

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בְּרִית (be.rit) — covenant.

1) covenant, alliance, pledge

1a) between men

1a1) treaty, alliance, league (man to man)

1a2) constitution, ordinance (monarch to subjects)

1a3) agreement, pledge (man to man)

1a4) alliance (of friendship)

1a5) alliance (of marriage)

1b) between God and man

1b1) alliance (of friendship)

1b2) covenant (divine ordinance with signs or pledges)

2) (phrases)

2a) covenant making

2b) covenant keeping

2c) covenant violation

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
יְהוָה֙Yah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the Lord God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
וּמֹשֶׁ֔הu.mo.Sheh and Moses H4872 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
766× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Moses, the Israelite leader, was born to Amram and Jochebed and led the Exodus from Egypt. He received the law from God and is considered a key figure in the Bible. Moses means 'drawn' in Hebrew.
Amplified meaning
the Israelite leader, prophet
Tyndale gloss
Moses
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh) refers to Moses, the prominent Hebrew leader, prophet, and lawgiver. The name is derived from the root meaning 'drawing out,' indicating his rescue from water. He is a key figure in the Old Testament, first mentioned in Exodus 2:10, and is known for leading the Israelites during the Exodus.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֹשֶׁה 767 n.pr.m. Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4872 מֹשֶׁה Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4872 Mosheh mo-sheh'

from 4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh,

the Israelite lawgiver:--Moses.

see HEBREW for 04871

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֹשֶׁה (mo.sheh) — Moses.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.10;

son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115);

brother of: Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813); married to Zipporah (H6855);

father of: Gershom (H1647) and Eliezer (H0461H); also called Manasseh at Jdg.18.30(?)

§ Moses = "drawn"

the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet.

I. LIFE

1. Son of Levi

2. Foundling Prince

3. Friend of the People

4. Refuge in Midian

5. Leader of Israel

II. WORK AND CHARACTER

1. The Author

2. The Lawgiver

3. The Prophet

LITERATURE

The traditional view of the Jewish church and of the Christian church, that Moses was a person and that the narrative with which his life-story is interwoven is real history, is in the main sustained by commentators and critics of all classes.

It is needless to mention the old writers among whom these questions were hardly under discussion. Among the advocates of the current radical criticism may be mentioned Stade and Renan, who minimize the historicity of the Bible narrative at this point. Renan thinks the narrative "may be very probable." Ewald, Wellhausen…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Moses

Drawn (or Egypt. mesu, “son;” hence Rameses, royal son). On the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen. 45:17-25), Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. This immigration took place probably about 350 years before the birth of Moses. Some centuries before Joseph, Egypt had been conquered by a pastoral Semitic race from Asia, the Hyksos, who brought into cruel subjection the native Egyptians, who were an African race. Jacob and his retinue were accustomed to a shepherd’s life, and on their arrival in Egypt were received with favour by the king, who assigned them the “best of the land”, the land of Goshen, to dwell in. The Hyksos or “shepherd” king who thus showed favour to Joseph and his family was in all probability the Pharaoh Apopi (or Apopis).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(Heb. Mosheh , "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is as follows: Levi was the father of: Gershon -- Kohath -- Merari Kohath was the father of: Amram = Jochebed Amram = Jochebed was the father of: Hur = Miriam -- Aaron = Elisheba -- Moses = Zipporah Aaron = Elisheba was the father of: Nadab -- Abihu -- Eleazar -- Ithamar Eleazar was the father of: Phineas Moses = Zipporah was the father of: Gershom -- Eliezer Gershom was the father of: Jonathan The history of Moses naturally divides itself into three periods of 40 years each. Moses was born at Goshen, In Egypt, B.C. 1571. The story of his birth is thoroughly Egyptian in its scene. His mother made extraordinary efforts for his preservation from the general destruction of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The name of the illustrious prophet and legislator of the Hebrews, who led them from Egypt to the Promised Land. Having been originally imposed by a native Egyptian princess, the word is no doubt Egyptian in its origin, and Josephus gives its true derivation—from the two Egyptian words, MO, water, and USE, saved. With this accords the Septuagint form, MOUSES. The Hebrews by a slight change accommodated it to their own language, as they did also in the case of some other foreign words; calling it MOSHIE, from the verb MASHA, to draw. See Ex 2:10. Moses was born about 15.71 B. C., the son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi, and the younger brother of Miriam and Aaron. His history is too extensive to permit insertion here, and in general too well known to need it. It is enough simply to remark, that it is divided into three…

and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
לֹא־lo'- not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
מָ֖שׁוּMa.shu they departed H4185 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
20× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To remove means to take something away or depart from a place. This word can be used literally or figuratively, and is often translated as cease or depart. It implies a sense of separation.
Amplified meaning
departed, removed
Tyndale gloss
to remove
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוּשׁ (muwsh) is a Hebrew verb meaning to depart or remove, primarily used for inanimate objects. It can denote both literal and figurative withdrawal, appearing in forms such as Qal (to depart) and Hiphil (to remove). The entries suggest a focus on the act of removal or cessation, but do not specify particular verses.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מוּשׁ, מִישׁ] vb. depart, remove

Qal;—depart, mostly of inanimate things (= be removed)

Hiph.; remove, take away

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4185 מוּשׁ, מִישׁ depart, remove .—depart, mostly of inanimate things (= be removed)

.; remove, take away

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4185 muwsh moosh

a primitive root (perhaps rather the same as 4184 through the

idea of receding by contact); to withdraw (both literally and

figuratively, whether intransitive or transitive):--cease,

depart, go back, remove, take away.

see HEBREW for 04184

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוּשׁ (mush) — to remove.

1) to depart, remove

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to depart

1a2) to remove

1a3) to be removed (of inanimate objects)

1b) (Hiphil) to remove, depart

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
מִקֶּ֥רֶבmi.Ke.rev from [the] midst of H7130 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
227× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means the inner part or midst of something, whether physical or emotional, and can refer to the entrails of an animal or the seat of thought and emotion. In 1 Kings 17:21, it describes Elijah's emotional plea to God.
Tyndale gloss
entrails: among
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קֶ֫רֶב (qereb) refers to the inward part or midst of something, encompassing both physical and figurative meanings. It can denote the center of a person or object, as well as the seat of thought and emotion. The term also relates to the entrails of sacrificial animals. It is used in various contexts, including references to being among or within a group.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קֶ֫רֶב 227 n.[m.] inward part, midst

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7130 קֶ֫רֶב inward part, midst

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7130 qereb keh'-reb

from 7126; properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center,

whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with

preposition):--X among, X before, bowels, X unto charge, +

eat (up), X heart, X him, X in, inward (X -ly, part, -s,

thought), midst, + out of, purtenance, X therein, X through, X

within self.

see HEBREW for 07126

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קֶ֫רֶב (qe.rev) — entrails: among.

: among/within

1) midst, among, inner part, middle

1a) inward part

1a1) physical sense

1a2) as seat of thought and emotion

1a3) as faculty of thought and emotion

1b) in the midst, among, from among (of a number of persons)

1c) entrails (of sacrificial animals)

Also means: qe.rev (קֶ֫רֶב ": inner_parts" H7130H)

קֶ֫רֶב (qe.rev) — entrails: inner parts.

: inner_parts

1) midst, among, inner part, middle

1a) inward part

1a1) physical sense

1a2) as seat of thought and emotion

1a3) as faculty of thought and emotion

1b) in the midst, among, from among (of a number of persons)

1c) entrails (of sacrificial animals)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they presumed to go up to [the] top of the hill country and [the] ark of [the] covenant of Yahweh and Moses not they departed from [the] midst of the camp
הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃Ha.ma.cha.Neh the camp H4264 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
215× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a camp or army, like the Israelites' encampments in the wilderness. It can also mean a group of people or animals. The KJV translates it as 'army, band, or camp'.
Amplified meaning
encampment, gathering place
Tyndale gloss
camp
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַחֲנֶה (machaneh) refers to an encampment or camp, encompassing both literal and figurative meanings. It can denote a place where people or troops gather, an army, or a body of individuals. The term is used in various contexts, including military, social, and even celestial gatherings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַחֲנֶה 214 n.m. and f. encampment, camp

camp, place of encampment

camp of armed host

those who encamp

company, body of people

army, host

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4264 מַחֲנֶה encampment, camp . camp, place of encampment

. camp of armed host

. . those who encamp

. company, body of people

. army, host

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4264 machaneh makh-an-eh'

from 2583; an encampment (of travellers or troops); hence, an

army, whether literal (of soldiers) or figurative (of dancers,

angels, cattle, locusts, stars; or even the sacred courts):--

army, band, battle, camp, company, drove, host, tents.

see HEBREW for 02583

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַחֲנֶה (ma.cha.neh) — camp.

1) encampment, camp

1a) camp, place of encampment

1b) camp of armed host, army camp

1c) those who encamp, company, body of people

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-cs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See WAR.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Camp

During their journeys across the wilderness, the twelve tribes formed encampments at the different places where they halted (Ex. 16:13; Num. 2:3). The diagram here given shows the position of the different tribes and the form of the encampment during the wanderings, according to Num. 1:53; 2:2-31; 3:29, 35, 38; 10:13-28.

The area of the camp would be in all about 3 square miles. After the Hebrews entered Palestine, the camps then spoken of were exclusively warlike (Josh. 11:5, 7; Judg. 5:19, 21; 7:1; 1 Sam. 29:1; 30:9, etc.).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[ENCAMPMENT]

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Of the Israelites around the tabernacle Nu 2; 3

→ See ITINERARY

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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